Apparatus for dismounting and remounting the rolls in a four-high rolling mill



Aprll 7, 1970 CLEMENT 3,50

APPARATUS FOR DISMOUNTING AND REMOUNTING THE ROLLS IN A FOUR-HIGH ROLLING MILL Filed April 25, 196'? 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR LOUIS CLEMENT MfM ATTORNEYS April 7, 1970 L. CLEMENT 3,504,517

APPARATUS FOR DISMOUNTING AND REMOUNTING THE ROLLS IN A Filed April 25. 1967 FOUR-HIGH ROLLING MILL 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 LOUIS CLEMENT ATTORNEYS Apnl 7, 1970 CLEMENT APPARATUS FOR DISMOUNTING AND REMOUNTING THE ROLLS IN A FOUR-HIGH ROLLING MILL 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed April 25, 196'? United States Patent 3,504,517 APPARATUS FOR DISMOUNTING AND RE- MOUNTING THE ROLLS IN A FOUR-HIGH ROLLING MILL Louis Clement, La Varenne-Saint-Hilaire, France, assignor to Societe Nouvelle Spidem, Paris, France Filed Apr. 25, 1967, Ser. No. 633,558 Claims priority, application7 France, Apr. 25, 1966,

US. Cl. 72-239 9 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Apparatus for rapidly dismounting and remounting the rolls of a rolling mill, comprising, on one side of the housing window, a vertically adjustable horizontal platform, capable of being brought to the level of each of the work roll chocks of the rolling mill, the said platform comprising a guiding track, coming to fit into the direct extension of one of the guiding tracks providing inside the window at each of the aforesaid levels, the said platform being, moreover, fitted with pulling and pushing means intended to move the work roll chocks in both directions, on the respective guiding tracks.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Users of machines are always searching for ways of reducing to a minimum the time during which the machine is stopped compatible with rational working. More particularly, various kinds of apparatus have been used with rolling mills in order to reduce idle periods due to the changing of the rolls, and more particularly the work rolls, by reducing the time required for such an operation, but these apparatus have not been completely satisfactory to date.

The present invention proposes reducing to a minimum the time required for changing the rolls through the provision of motorized equipment arranged permanently near the rolling mill for greatly facilitating the changing of the rolls thereby greatly reducing the time required for this operation.

The invention relates to an apparatus for dismounting and remounting work rolls and backing-up rolls in a rolling mill by removing the rolls in the common direction of their axes, said apparatus comprising the essential feature that the rolling mill is provided as a longitudinal extension from the rolls with iron sections which, when the rolls are removed, form rolling or sliding tracks for wheels or shoes fixed to the roll chocks, and a horizontally and vertically displaceable platform being arranged laterally of the rolling mill and in alignment with the rolls, the platform being equipped with rails which can be brought into alignment with the iron sections of the rolling mill and being traversed by a carriage driven by an endless chain in the direction of the axes of the rolls, the said carriage being provided with a hook for attaching it to the roll or rolls.

The invention will be described hereinafter with all the necessary details with reference to the accompanying drawings concerning by way of example a four-high rolling mill equipped with the apparatus according to the invention constructed in accordance with an embodiment which is not intended to be limitative in any sense.

In these drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a front elevation of the rolling mill and its apparatus for dismounting and remounting the work and backing-up rolls;

FIGURE 2 is a side elevation of the same rolling mill 3,504,517 Patented Apr. 7, 1970 and apparatus illustrated in FIGURE 1, with partial section taken along time IIII of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a partial cross-sectional view of the rolling mill taken along line III-III of FIGURE 4; and

FIGURE 4 is a partial sectional view of the rolling mill and the apparatus according to the invention taken along line IVIV of FIGURE 2.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION As shown in FIGURES 1 and 2, the apparatus according to the invention comprises an upper stage forming a mobile platform 1 and a fixed lower stage 2. The two stages are connected together by four links 3a 3b, 3c and 3d. Each link can pivot at one end on the upper stage 1 on pins 4a, 4b, 4c and 4d and at the other end on the stage 2 on the pins 5a, 5b, 5c and 5d, respectively.

Mounted on one of the ends of the pins 5a and 5c are the short links 6a and 6b, the other ends of the short links being connected to the pistons 7-7a of the hydraulic jacks 8 and 8a and being adapted to rock about the pins 9 and 9a to displace platform 1. The cylinder ends are connected to fixed supports 10 and 10a by pins 11 and 1111, respectively. As FIGURE 1 shows, these hydraulic jacks serve to vary the position of the mobile platform before the housing of the rolling mill.

The platform 1 is constituted by two longitudinal iron sections 12 and 12a of generally rectangular cross section situated on the outside and two iron sections 13 and 13a of smaller cross section which are situated on the inside of the platform 1, the assembly being suitably braced. These iron sections 1313a serve as rolling tracks for a carriage 14 on the front of which there is fixed a hook 15 (see FIGURE 4) for engaging the chocks. Two single or multiple chains 16 and 1611 supported by the wheels 17a, 17b, 17c, and 17d are connected at one end to the front of the carriage 14 and at the other to the rear thereof. A geared motor 18 situated at the end of the upper stage 1 drives the chain-carriage arrangement back and forth along the platform 1 through a suitable axle and gear arrangement.

As a part of the housing of the rolling mill, two rectangular iron sections 19 and 19a are fixed in the longitudinal sense at the upper portion thereof, and two iron sections 20 and 20a of the same cross section but of greater length are fixed to the lower portion of the housing. The iron sections 19 and 19a are situated in alignment with sections 21 and 21:: when platform 1 is in its upper position in front of the work roll chocks and the iron sections 20 and 20a are so positioned that they are situated in alignment with the iron sections 12 and 12a of the platform 1 when it is in the lower position in front of the wheels of the chocks of the lower backing-up roll. In these positions, the iron sections 13- and 13a form a continuous track with the two iron sections 21 and 21a of the same cross section which are fixed longitudinally in the rolling mill housing and the iron sections 12 and 12a form a continuous track with the two iron sections 20 and 20a.

FIGURE 3 shows the backing-up rolls 22 and 23 held in their chocks '24 and 25, and the work rolls 26- and 27 held in their chocks 28 and 29, respectively. Each chock of the upper work roll is provided with lateral shoes, such as shoes 36a and 3612, which serve to facilitate the sliding of the chock on the iron sections 21 and 21a during the withdrawal of the corresponding roll. However, as is obvious, these shoes could also be replaced by wheels.

The chocks of the backing-up rolls are subjected to preload by the hydraulic jacks 30a, 30b, 30c, 30d at the upper portion and by the jacks 30s, 30 30g, 30h, bearing on the lower chock. Small jacks 31a, 31b, 31c, 31d are also arranged at each side of the backing-up rolls and are used during the dismounting of the rolls. Both the preload jacks and small jacks may, for example, be mounted in fixed blocks secured to the mill housing.

FIGURE 4 shows the system which secures the two work checks to each other when they are dismounted so that they may be removed together. At each side of the lower chocks 29 a T-shaped metal element 32a and 32b is placed so as to engage in the openings 33a and 33b, 34a and 3411 provided for in the lower chock for this purpose. The T-shaped elements are fixed in the openings 34a and 34b of the upper chocks 28 by screws 35. These elements are dimensioned at the end engaging the lower chocks 29 so as to permit vertical displacement of the lower chock without disengaging from the openings 33a 33b and 34a-34b, thereby to make possible adjustment of the position of the roll in accordance with the rolled thicknesses desired. The control jacks (not shown) being situated in elements fixed to the uprights of the housing, no oil reaches the checks during removal of the rolls since no disconnection of hydraulic lines is necessary with this construction, which is described in greater detail in copending application Ser. No. 633,297, filed Apr. 24, 1967, in the name of Lucien Bournez et al.

The work rolls are changed as follows by means of the apparatus in accordance with the invention which has just been described:

When the pressure in the clamping cylinders of the control jacks (not shown) has been discontinued, the backing-up and work rolls are no longer in contact. The checks of the work rolls come to bear with their shoes, such as 36a and 36!), on the two iron sections 21 and 21a. The apparatus for dismounting the rolls is put into the upper position by means of the jacks 8 and 8a connected to the supports 10 and 10a. In this position the iron sections 13 and 13a of the upper stage platform 1 are in alignment with the iron sections 21 and 21a situated in the housing forming a continuous track for the chocks.

With the aid of the geared motor 18 and the wheel and chain assembly 16-17, the carriage 14 is brought near the mill housing. The hook 15 is positioned on the upper chock 28 of the work roll, and by means of the mechani cal drive provided by motor 18, involving chains 16-16a, wheels 17 and carriage 14, the assembly constituted by work roll 26 and chock 28, with work roll 27 and chock 29 suspended therefrom by T-shaped elements 32a and 32b, is made to slide on the rails 21 and 21a and the iron sections 13 and 13a onto the platform 1.

As for the dismounting of the backing-up rolls, this operation is carried out next, if it is required, as follows:

Once the work rolls are taken out of the housing, pressure is discontinued in the preloading jacks 30a, 30b, 30c, 30d, 30a, 301, 30g and 30h mounted in fixed blocks to the housing. The running wheels of the upper chocks are brought to rest on the rails 19 and 19a and the rails 12 and 12a of the plat-form 1 by control of the small jacks and preload jacks to lower the chocks. The dismounting apparatus being in the upper position, the assembly constituted by the upper roll 22 with chocks 24 is fastened to the carriage 14 by way of the engaging hook 15. By means of the geared motor 18 the upper chock 24 and backing-up roll assembly 22 is removed from the housing.

To remove the lower backing-up chock and cylinder assembly the dismounting apparatus has to be put into the lower position by operating the jacks 8 and 8a. By means of the small jacks 31a, 31b, 31c and 31d the assembly is lowered so that the lower wheels of the backing-up chocks come into contact with the rails and 200. In this position the rails 12 and 12a of the platform 1 are in alignment with the rails 20 and 20a providing a continuous track for the chocks and rolls to move on.

As in the case of the upper backing-up roll, by means of the geared motor 18, the carriage 14 and the engaging system 15, the lower backing-up roll 23 and checks assembly is removed.

The operations described above have simply to be carried out in the reverse order in order to remount the rolls.

As will be clear from the foregoing description, the apparatus according to the invention is suitable for all rolling mills and more particularly rolling mills provided with means for subjecting the backing-up chocks to preload and for varying the forces acting on the work chocks. Roll changes are carried out very quickly, firstly owing to the design of the apparatus itself, and secondly, since no bleeding is necessary in the hydraulic circuits, air intakes being eliminated.

I have shown and described one embodiment in accordance with the present invention. It is understood that the same is not limited thereto but is susceptible of numerous changes and modifications as known to a person skilled in the art and I, therefore, do not wish to be limited to the details shown and described herein, but intend to cover all such changes and modifications as are encompassed by the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. Apparatus for demounting and rernounting the work and backing-up rolls in a rolling mill by removing the rolls in the common direction of their axes, comprising a plurality of work rolls and backing-up rolls and checks for support of each thereof on the housing of said rolling mill, said checks being capable of sliding movement in the axial direction of the respective rolls and having transporting means mounted theeron for facilitating said sliding movement,

a plurality of iron sections extending longitudinally from said rolls forming, in pairs thereof, tracks upon which said chocks are slid by means of said transporting means riding thereon,

a substantially horizontal platform positioned laterally of said rolls and in alignment therewith, said plat form having a plurality of rails thereon and being pivotably displaceable between a first, relatively high position wherein said rails are positioned in alignment with said iron sections associated with an upper roll of said rolling mill to form an extended track therewith and a second, relatively low position wherein said rails are positioned in alignment with said iron sections associated with a lower roll of said rolling mill to form an extended track therewith, and

moving means on said platform for moving said rolls onto and off of said platform out of and into position, respectively, in the rolling mill, said moving means including a carriage mounted on said rails of said platform and drive means for selectively moving said carriage back and forth on said platform in the axial direction of said rolls, said carriage including means for releasably connecting said carriage with a chock supporting a roll.

2. Apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said drive means includes an endless band and motor means for driving said band.

3. Apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said platform is connected to a stationary frame by means of articulated links, and further including control means for controlling the position of said platform.

4. Apparatus as defined in claim 3 wherein said control means includes at least .one hydraulic jack connected to said articulated links for movement thereof.

5. Apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said transporting means is in the form of lateral shoes positioned on said checks for movement into contact with said iron sections upon removal of said rolls.

6. Apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said transporting means is in the form of wheels mounted on said chocks for movement into contact with said iron sections upon removal of said rolls.

7. Apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said Work roll chocks are vertically disposed with respect to one another and are linked together by connecting elements so as to efifect simultaneous removal of said Work rolls said connecting elements engaging with one of said chocks so as to permit limited vertical movement thereof with respect to said other clock Without effecting disengagement of the links therebetween.

8. Apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said backing up roll chocks are provided with rollers for facilitating sliding movement of said backing-up rolls, and further including preloading jacks supporting said backing-up roll chocks with respect to the rolling mill housing and being capable upon removal of said work rolls of lowering said backing-up roll chocks onto a respective track.

9. Apparatus as defined in claim 1 further including hydraulic jacks for determining the desired position of said work and backing-up roll chocks acommodated in blocks fixed to the housing of said rolling mill.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS CHARLES W. LANHAM, Primary Examiner B. J. MUSTAIKIS, Assistant Examiner 

